Radio valve holder



July 6, 1954 o, P. LiOWTHER 2,683,259

RADIO VALVE HOLDER Filed Aug. 21, 1951 In ehfor 04/1/51: i ErE/a Lam-#5,?

' s buL-l 2-140 Attorney Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIO VALVE HOLDER Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,929

Claims priority, application Great Britain August 21, 1950 10 Claims.

V This invention relates to radio valve holders of the kind in which electrical contact is established when th pins of the valve are forced into the holder and is particularly concerned with the contact elements used in such holders.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a contact element for a radio valve holder, the construction of which readily lends itself to mass production methodswhile providing a good electrical and firm contact for the valve pin received thereby.

Another object is to provide a contact element capable of being made from a single strip of metal by stamping or like process.

A further object is to provide a contact element comprising a slotted metal strip-which is bent so that the slot forms an opening for the reception of a valve pin which then makes contact with the sideof the slot.

A still further object is to provide a one piece contact element for a radio valve holder and soldering tag therefor.

'Yet another object is to provide a radio valve holder having a body of electrically insulating material containing a plurality of valve pin receiving holes each of which contains a one piece soldering tag and contact element for a valve pin. A subsidiary object is to enable the contact elements to be readily locked in position against accidental removal from the body.

Another object is to minimise the capacity between the contacts.

Other objects will appear from the following description of a valve holder according to the invention, reference being made to the accom- -panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a contact element,

Figure 2 is a front view of the contact element of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the contact element,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the valve holder,

Figure 5 is a view from the underside of the valve holder, and

Figure '6 is a section on the line VI-VI of ure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the contact element i2 consists of a single strip of thin resilient metal having a soldering tag part [3 and a wider co-n tact part H. In the contact part l4 and extending a short distance into the soldering tag part l3 is-stamped a slot 1 5 of a width closely approximating to the diameter of the pins of the valves with which the holder is to be used. At its upper end the width of the slot increases to form a nearly circular opening IS. The upper end I! of the strip is semi-circular as is clearly shown in Figure 3.

The slotted part of the strip I2 is corrugated by bending the strip along the lines I8, I9, 20 while the semi-circular end I! is bent at 2| to lie perpendicularly to the soldering tag part I3 of the strip. As clearly shown in Figure 3, this results in a semi-circular opening It in the strip when viewed from above, overlying the slot l5 in the corrugations. The lower end of the soldering tag part [3 has a small hole 22 for the reception of a conductor wire and a tongue 23 is formed by cutting along the lines 24 continuous with the edges of the slot l5.

Referring now to Figures 4 to 6, the valve holder comprises a disc 25 of insulating material, preferably being moulded from a synthetic resin. The disc 25 is formed with an integral flange 26 which is gripped by a metal supporting plate 21 provided with holes 28 for receiving securing bolts or the like.

The disc 25 is formed with a central cylindrical hole 29 which has a flared mouth and receives an earth contact element 30 which receives the central earth pin of the valve. The element 30 extends right through the disc and is formed integral with the soldering tag 3 I.

Spaced round the central hole 29 are seven pin-receiving holes 32, of which one in Figures 4 and. 5 is shown without a contact element 12 therein. As shown in Figure 6, each hole 32 has a first part 33 which is circular in cross-section. The cross-sectional area of the'hole is decreased by the protuberances 34, 35 in the wall thereof. The bottom of the hole 32 is reduced to a T-shaped slot 36.

One of the contact elements 12 is placed in each of the holes 32. The part [3 of the strip is inserted into the cylindrical part 33 of the hole 32 and then pressed downwardly so that the part I3 passes through the T-slot until the tongue 23 is clear of the disc; the tongue engages against the surface of the disc 25 and prevents accidental removal of the contact from the hole. In this position of the contact, the semi-circular top end thereof is located within the cylindrical part 33 and the corrugations lie against the walls of the hole. The reduced part of the hole ensures that the contact is firmly held in the hole against extensive side to side motion while the engagement of the uppermost corrugation with the protuberance 35 prevents lengthwise movement of the contact. However, an edgewise movement, 1. e. a movement of the contact l2 shown in Fig. 6 tangentially to the wall of contact element 3%) of 7 inch is permitted to enable the holder to accommodate valves having small variations in the spacing of the pins.

When all the contacts l2 are in position in the disc It, the slots is in the corrugations appear as radial slots. The valve pins are pushed through the semi-circular openings it in the tops of the contacts and make firm electrical contact with the edges of the slots I in the corrugations. The radial disposition of the slots facilitate the fitting of valves, the pins of which may vary in distance from the centre of the valve.

It will be seen that each contact i2 is supported in its hole 32 at top and bottom of the part within the hole; as a result, the contacts l2 can be made of thin resilient metal that can stand up to the bending required during the securing of conductor wires to the soldering tag parts i3; it will be seen that these parts, when the contacts are in position, are bent outwardly. The thinness of the material also enables the slots iii to be cut with greater accuracy than would otherwise be the case. Further, it is possible to reduce to a minimum the distance between the point of contact of the valve pin with the contact l2 and the soldered connection and thereby to reduce the inductance of the contact. Again, the edges of the contact elements i2 in the holder face each other so that the capacity between the contact elements is low. Lastly, a holder body of very small depth is provided by the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A socket comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therein opening to one face of said body for inserting a contact pin in said socket hole, and a contact member within said hole, which said member comprises a metal strip having lateral corrugations and an end bent over transversely to the length of said member and overlying said corrugations, said bent-over end being positioned near the opening of said hole to said face and having an aperture adapted to receive a pin inserted in said hole, and said strip having a longitudinal slot extending over said corrugations and forming openings therein aligned with said aperture, the corrugated strip portions as formed and separated by said slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said aperture whereby an inserted pin is received by and gripped by said strip at a plurality of spaced points.

2. A socket comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therein opening to one face of said body for inserting a contact pin in said hole and a contact member supported snugly within said hole, which said member comprises a metal strip having lateral corrugations and an end bent over transversely to the length of said member and overlying said corrugations, said bent-over end being positioned near the opening of said hole and said strip having a longitudinal slot extending over said corrugations and into said bent over end and forming a plurality of aligned openings in said strip, the corrugated strip portions as formed and separated by said slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said hole whereby a pin inserted in said hole is received and gripped by the edges of the slot in said corrugated strip portions.

3. A socket comprising a socket body he: an axially elongated hole therethrough opening to opposite faces of said body for inserting a contact pin in said hole, and a contact member ported snugly within said hole which rail memher comprises a metal strip having a straight part protruding from one said face of said body, a plurality of lateral corrugations and an end part bent over transversely to said straight part, and overlying said corrugations, said bent-over end part being positioned near the other said face of said body, and said strip having a longitudinal slot extending over said corrugations and into said end part and forming a plurality of aligned openings in the strip, the corrugated strip portions as formed and separated by said slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said hole whereby a pin inserted in said hole is received and gripped by the edges of the slot in said corrugated strip portions.

4. A socket comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therethrough opening to opposite faces of said body for receiving therein a contact pin, the body wall defining said hole being formed with a shoulder near one of said faces, and a contact member supported snugly within said hole, which said member comprises a metal strip having a straight part protruding from the other said face, a plurality oflateral corrugations and an end part bent over transversely to said straight part and overlying said corrugations, which bent-over end part is supported on said shoulder, said strip having a longitudinal slot extending over said corrugations and into said end part and forming a plurality of aligned openings, the corrugated portions as formed and separated by said slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said hole whereby a pin inserted in said hole is received and gripped by the edges of the slot in said corrugated strip portions.

5. A socket for a radio valve comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therethrough opening to opposite faces of said body for receiving a contact pin of said valve, the body wall defining said hole being formed with a shoulder near one of said faces, and a contact member supported snugly within said hole, which said member comprises a metal strip having a straight part protruding from the other said face, a plurality of lateral corrugations and an enlarged and substantially circular pin guid ing end part bent over transversely to said straight part and overlying said corrugations, which bentover end part is supported on said shoulder, said strip having a longitudinal slot of a width approximating to the width of a pin insertable in said hole and extending over said corrugations and into said bent-over end part, the width of said slot being increased within said end part, the slot forming a plurality of aligned openings for the insertion of a pin in said hole, the corrugated strip portions as formed and separated by said slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said hole, the slot edges defining the openings in said corrugations the openings in said corrugations gripping a pin inserted in said hole and said bent-over end part permitting'the free passage of a pin therethrough.

6. A socket for a radio valve comprising a socket body having a plurality of axially elon gated holes therethrough each hole opening to opposite faces of said body for receiving therein contact pins of the valve, the body walls defining said holes each formed with a shoulder near one of said faces, a contact member for each hole supported snugly within its hole, each of said contact members comprising a metal strip having a straight soldering tag-forming part protruding from the other said face, a plurality of lateral corrugations and an enlarged and substantially circular end part bent over transversely to said straight part and overlying said corrugations, which end part is supported on the respective shoulder, said strip having a longitudinal slot of a width approximating to the width of a pin insertable in the respective hole and extending over said corrugations and into said bent-over end part, the width of the slot within said end part being increased, the slot forming a plurality of aligned opening for the insertion of a pin in the respective hole, the corrugated strip portions as formed and separated by each slot being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the respective hole, the slot edges defining the openings in said corrugations gripping a pin inserted in a hole and said bent-over end part permitting the free passage of a pin therethrough.

7. A socket for a radio valve comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therthrough opening to opposite faces of said body for receiving therein a contact pin, the body wall defining said hole being formed with a shoulder near one of said faces, and a contact member snugly supported Within said hole, which said member comprises a metal strip comprising a straight part protruding from the other said face, a tongue formed in said straight part and engaging against said other face, said strip having at least one lateral corrugation and an enlarged end part bent over transversely to said straight part and overlying said corrugation, which end part is supported on said shoulder, said strip having a longitudinal slot of a width approximating to the width of said pin and extending over said corrugation and into said bent-over end part the slot width in said bent-over end part being increased, the slot forming a plurality of aligned openings for an inserted pin, the strip edges defining openings in the corrugated strip portion gripping an inserted pin.

8. As an article of manufacture for receiving a contact pin, a contact member consisting of a metal strip comprising a straight soldering tagforming part, a pin gripping laterally corrugated part and a pin guiding end part bent over transversely of said straight part and overlying said corrugated part, said strip having a longitudinal slot extending over said corrugated part and into said bent-over end part and forming a plurality of aligned openings for the reception of a pin, the width of the slot within the bent-over end part being enlarged relative to the slot width in the corrugated part of the strip.

9. A valve socket comprising a socket body having an axially elongated hole therethrough opening to opposite faces of said body for receiving a contact pin therein, and a contact member supported snugly within said hole, said member including a metal strip having at least one pingripping lateral corrugation extending to either side of a pin inserted in said hole and a pinguiding end part bent-over transversely to the length of said hole and overlying said corrugation, said strip having a longitudinal slot of a Width approximating to the width of a pin insertable in said hole and extending over said corrugation and into said bent-over end part, the width of said slot being widened within the bent-over end part to permit free passage of a pin through said end part, the edges of said slot in said corrugation providing a plurality of contact points with an inserted pin.

10. A socket for a radio valve having a plurality of pins, comprising a socket body having a plurality of parallel pin-receiving holes therethrough opening to at least one face of said body and a contact member supported in each of said holes, said member including a metal strip having at least one pin-gripping lateral corrugation extending radially of the socket body and to each side of a pin inserted in said hole, and a pinguiding end part bent-over transversely of the length of said hole and overlying said corrugation, said strip having a longitudinal slot of a Width approximating to the width of said pin and extending over said corrugation and into said bent-over end part, the width of said slot being widened within the bent-over end part to permit free passage of an inserted pin therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,045,280 Grier Nov. 26, 1912 2,240,658 Mathern May 6, 1941 2,333,694 Warsher Nov. 9, 1943 2,376,625 Schmitt May 22, 1945 2,493,658 Deakin Jan. 3, 1950 2,496,866 Flora Feb. 7, 1950 2,514,562 Stickney July 11, 1950 2,526,869 Hubacker Oct. 24, 1950 

